


Into the Fairy Court

by Corrie71



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Fairy Tale Elements, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-18
Updated: 2013-10-18
Packaged: 2017-12-29 17:59:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1008364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corrie71/pseuds/Corrie71
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If you’ve read the Mortal Instruments series, this scene set-up will be familiar. It happens in <em> City of Ashes.</em>  The group of shadowhunters, including Clary and Jace, visits the the fairy queen’s court for some reason and the heroine eats something. Folk tales state that if you eat anything in the fairy world, you have to stay. This scene is my McKirk take on that concept…</p>
            </blockquote>





	Into the Fairy Court

They are almost exactly halfway through their five year mission when they stumble up on Seelie. It’s a lovely little emerald of a planet, covered in epic forests and lush beauty. They all longed to enjoy some shore leave on it but need to wait for the away team to clear them. 

“Captain, it appears this planet is populated by fairies. The fey. Originally from earth.”

“How’s that again?” Jim blinked at the Vulcan.

“Millennia ago, the fey people departed earth and relocated here.” 

“Like in Lord of the Rings?”Jim asked, clearly bewildered. 

Bones scrubbed a hand over his face. “That was elves, Jim.” 

“Weird story. Wasn’t there a lion.” 

“Narnia. That would be the Chronicles of Narnia.” Bones answered patiently. “There was a lion, a witch, and a wardrobe in that one.”

“Captain, the queen is hailing us. She requests your presence in her court.”

“Do you speak fairy, Uhura?” Jim asked.

“All three dialects.” 

“Okay then, Bones, Wallace, Uhura, Owens, and me will be the away party.”

“What? I don’t want to go into the fairy court.” Bones protested, though he knew Jim would ignore it. Within a few moments, they beamed down to the surface in front of a stunning great hall made of silvery wood. A fiercely beautiful knight approached them and welcomed them inside. Everywhere they looked they saw things of great beauty and often great cruelty, like the queen’s lap robe made of butterfly wings. The queen was beautiful, in that terrible sort of way, like a honed dagger.

She made them welcome, toasting Jim with mulled and spiced wine. Jim sipped a bit and then set it aside. He and the lovely queen made an agreement to allow them access to explore the planet. Bones no longer thought it was a good idea to have shore leave here. It was beautiful, yes, but terrible too. After about fifteen minutes, Jim made to excuse himself.

“He can’t leave.” The queen spoke with implacable authority. Bones heart hit his boots when he realized that she was pointing at Jim. 

The ensign behind him stage-whispered “He sipped the wine. She doesn’t have to release him, according to their laws and customs.”

“My lady, thank you for your hospitality. I must return to my ship.” Kirk said, command clear in his voice. The queen smiled but there was no mirth or warmth behind it. Her leaf green eyes glowed as she looked at him.

“You will be a beautiful ornament for my court, James. I do so love pretty things.”

Kirk turned on his heel and strode to the door. Before he could reach it, a force wave around it knocked him flat on his ass. Next, Kirk attempted to have them beamed back aboard the Enterprise. 

“Escape is impossible, my dear.” The queen laughed. “Though you are terribly amusing.”

“I’m afraid we will need our captain back, my lady.” McCoy walked over and put his hand on Jim’s shoulder. The queen’s leaf colored eyes danced as she glanced between them. “Is there no way we can negotiate?”

“I’ll grant you a boon, pretty Captain.” _Uh-oh._ McCoy thought. _His Scottish grandmother always said that fairy boons come with a sting in the tail._ Unfortunately, Jim didn’t hear those same folk tales because he grabbed for the chance to free them with both hands. 

“What’s that?” 

“A kiss will free you.”

“You want me to kiss you? My lady, you just needed to ask.” Jim smirked and the queen looked shocked at the very idea. She laughed again, a sound like frozen bells shattering, and shook her head. 

“What an adorable pet you will make, James. No, my dear, I want you to have the kiss of your heart’s desire.”

“Carol, kiss the Captain, would you?” McCoy managed, struggling hard not to laugh. He’d never seen anything like Jim. He fell in shit and smelled all over roses, as his Gram would have said.

Carol, trying not to look too delighted at the prospect of getting what she’d wanted for nearly three years, dashed over. Jim bent and pressed his lips to hers. Bones looked away. Quickly, Jim broke the kiss and strode to the doors, only to be repelled again.

“Oh my. Doesn’t look like that was the kiss you truly wanted, Captain.” 

“Nyota?” McCoy begged, turning to Uhura.

Uhura rolled her eyes. “Farm Boy, if I found out you tricked me into this…” She walked to Kirk and took hold of his shoulders, shutting her eyes and puckering up. Jim put a bit more effort into that kiss than he had with Carol though it looked like Nyota might have bitten his tongue. Jim glanced up at the queen who shook her head a mocking smile on her lips. 

“Last chance, my pretty boy.” The queen said. “It is the kiss that you most want that will free you.”

Jim’s eyes met Bones. Bones flashed to a memory. A long ago night at the Academy, after a night of drinking, the fog and the chill of San Francisco in mid-winter, a dark alley, with New Year’s fireworks sparkling above, and Jim’s soft lips pressed against his. Bones remembered. He just wasn’t sure Jim did. He leaned down and gave him a quick smack on the mouth.

Ignoring Jim’s blush, he turned back to the queen. “Happy now?”

“Come now, Doctor. Surely you can do better than that.” Bones rolled his eyes and turned back toward Jim. Sucking in a deep breath, he focused on Jim’s eyes, imagining that this wasn’t going to take place in front of an audience. That it was just the two of them, as they’d been in that alleyway together. Jim’s eyes were the color of a Caribbean lagoon and Bones had been drowning in them for a long time. He inclined his head and brushed his lips over Jim’s once and then again before Jim’s hands came up to clutch at his face. Bones swept him into his arms them, pressing them together from shoulder to waist. Their kiss deepened as Jim’s tongue teased over his lips and Bones parted for him, opened for him, letting himself be claimed.

He heard a soft hiss of laughter and he and Jim broke apart. Jim’s pupils were dilated, the black nearly obscuring the blue, and he looked dazed. McCoy knew he couldn’t look much better. 

“Very good.” The queen clapped her hands. “You may go.”

McCoy can’t look at Uhura or Carol’s shocked faces. He says “Come on, kid, let’s go home.”

They strode outside, beamed back to the ship, and immediately went their separate ways. 

* * *

For three days after the incident, they successfully avoided each other. But, even though it’s a big starship, they cannot avoid each other forever. Bones finally took it upon himself to find Jim. Unerringly, he went to the aft observational deck, the smallest one. Jim’s favorite.

“Thought I might find you here.”

“Doctor McCoy. Everything well down in sickbay?” Jim used his hearty captain’s voice but McCoy knew him well enough to hear the panic underlying it. He sat down beside him on the long, low slung sectional sofa and glances out at the universe rushing past.

“Yes.” McCoy waited

“Is everyone talking about it?” Jim whispered

“Not to me.” Bones shrugged

“No, no I suppose they wouldn’t.” Jim managed. “Look, Bones, I don’t know what she was playing at…”

“Do you know that fairies, like Vulcans, can’t lie?” Bones said.

“Yeah. I read that.” Kirk shrugged.

Bones sighed. If Jim wanted denial, he’d give it to him. He’d never been able to not give Jim everything he wanted. Weary, he stood and strode toward the door. “Look, kid, it could have just been the magic spell she used. I wouldn’t look too deeply at it.”

“It wasn’t the spell.” Kirk said, quietly, arresting Bones near the door. Guess they were going to have this conversation after all. He sucked in a breath and watched the starlight gild Jim’s face. 

“I don’t do this.” Jim said. “Relationships.”

“You mean you don’t mix sex and relationships. You do, in fact, do relationships.”

“Jesus, you sound like Spock.” 

Bones considered, staring at the window. Though he knew—everyone knew—that Jim Kirk had a lot of sex, of any and all variety, he was fairly certain that Jim had never had any sort of real romantic relationship. He didn’t seem wired that way. It was what kept Bones from pursuing this earlier before the fairy queen forced his hand.

“Look, Jim. We can ignore it. It’s no big deal. Just a kiss, right?” Bones kept his voice low and calming, the way he did for a skittish patient. Jim rubbed his hands over his face and nodded. Bones laid down his ace. “We’ve done it before.”

“I didn’t think you remembered that night.” He whispered.

“At the Academy? I wasn’t that drunk.” Bones laughed. “After all, it’s not every day that you get a kiss from the famous Captain Flirt.” 

“Cute. That’s cute.” Jim sighed, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Listen, kid…”

“Do you know I hate when you call me that?” Jim ground out. “I am six years younger, not 60. I hate when you do that Gandalf routine. Wise old elder, my ass.”

“Does that make you Bilbo? Your feet aren’t that hairy.” He tried for humor but Jim didn’t crack a smile. 

“Don’t piss me off.”

“Doesn’t take much.” Bones sighed. He could see the brawling farm boy covering up the scared in Jim. Spoiling for a fight to deflect and distract from what he actually wanted.

“I have no idea what happened down there. Carol is beautiful. I’ve been trying to get with Uhura for years. And then you… and then we…” Jim broke off and glanced down at Bones’ full mouth before back up, into his eyes. “You’re my best friend.”

Bones nodded. And then, Bones laid down his cards and went for broke. He gathered Jim in his arms and kissed him. It was a soul-baring kiss. No alcohol or convenient fairy queens to blame this one on. Just Jim and Bones tumbling together through the stars. He slammed Jim back into the observational screen and the comm console, carding his hands through his hair, pressing against him, plundering his mouth. Just to show him what he was missing, just a taste of what it could really be like between them.

And then Bones realized that he’d badly miscalculated Jim Kirk, yet again. Because Jim kissed him back. And Bones lost and won all at the same time.

Twenty seconds later, they turned to realize that they’d pressed against the comm and were being broadcast ship-wide. Jim stared at him, wild-eyed, his lips swollen, his hair mussed. 

And he did something Bones had never seen him do before. 

Jim Kirk fled.

* * *

“I, for one, think they belong together.” 

“No way! The doc is always so grouchy.”

“They’ve been friends since the academy days.”

“Roommates, I heard.” A loud giggle. “You know what that means.”

The Enterprise crew wasn’t stupid enough to gossip in front of him and Bones. But, that didn’t mean that Jim couldn’t hear, or imagine, what they were saying. Two days after he and Bones provided the entire crew with their own personal space opera, he sat in his cabin. Allegedly, he was doing paperwork. But really, he was just thinking about Bones, who he had not seen since he’d fled the aft observational deck.

Without warning, Spock came in through their shared bathroom.

“You will have to excuse my entering your cabin this way. I did not wish to cause…”

“More gossip?” Kirk threw his PADD on the bed and gestured Spock to a chair.

“Nyota seems to think I could be of some assistance to you, Captain. I have been instructed to get you talk about this.”

“This being the whole mess with Bones?” Jim asked. “First, let me apologize to you…”

Spock held up a hand. “There is no need. I understand. I believe the colloquial human term is ‘needs must.’ Besides, Nyota explained that she didn’t kiss you from any romantic impulse or interest.”

“Thank you, Mr. Spock.”

“I believe any of the crew would do the same. Some quite willingly.”

“It was all just an accident. It’ll blow over.” 

“Once is a believable accident. Twice is becoming a pattern.”

“Three times, actually.” Jim corrected. “Once at the Academy.”

“I was unaware that you and Dr. McCoy engaged in kissing at the Academy.”

“It was an accident.”

“You’ve accidentally kissed the doctor three times?”

“Yes!” Jim snapped and then ran his hands through his hair and pulled. “No! I don’t know.”

Spock blinked at him. “Accidental kissing does happen alarmingly often. You and Nyota have held hands several times.” 

Jim smiled at him and shook his head. “Bones and I met on our first day at the Academy. Actually, we weren’t at the Academy yet. It was on the shuttle from Riverside. He’d hidden in the bathroom and got dragged out, all but kicking and screaming. He treated me to this rant about space and I remember thinking that here was a guy even crazier than I was. I mean, who joins Starfleet when they’re afraid to fly?”

“I agree that it does seem illogical but the good doctor’s motivations often escape me along with his humor.” 

“Right.” Jim laughed again. “Anyway, we were both sort of misfits, I guess. And we ended up rooming together. Bones hated that. He thought the fact that he was a doctor would get him a single. It would have done, second year, but by then, we were used to each other. And…” Jim shrugged.

“And you accidentally kissed him, how?”

“Should have known you wouldn’t let that go.” Jim said, under his breath. “We were drunk.”

“I see. A drunken shenanigan. Like a frat boy.”

“No. Not like a frat boy. We’d been out drinking, ok? And it was New Year’s Eve. And neither of us had dates. And somehow…” Jim shrugged, feeling the heat crawl up his neck and pink his cheeks.

“How was that an accident?”

“Sorry?”

“You were on a date for New Year’s and midnight came. And you kissed. I am familiar with the custom. Nyota…”

“Not on date. We didn’t have dates. It was just we were together, at New Year’s. It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“And then what happened?”

“Nothing.” Jim lied, slightly. He was not going to describe one of the most intense kisses of his life to his first officer in technicolor detail. Even Vulcans had some imagination, right? “Well, then I beat the Maru…”

“Cheated.” Spock corrected but before the old argument could get started, he said “I meant with Doctor McCoy.”

“He dragged me on a shuttle craft and inadvertently saved the world.”

“And you did not kiss again?”

“Not until five days ago when that lunatic queen made us.”

“I kiss Nyota often.”

“I kinda assumed. Bones and I aren’t like that.”

“So you are casual kissers and also friends.”

“We are friends who have accidentally kissed three times!” Spock stared at him, confusion evident on his features.

“Do you kiss your other friends?”

“Why? You offering?” Spock looked appalled. “Never mind.” Jim sucked in a deep breath and finally tried to explain it to Spock. Maybe hearing it aloud would help. “Okay, Spock, here it is. I don’t do relationships.”

“To the contrary…”

“Bones already made that point. Let me get this out. Bones and I…we’re friends. Best friends.”

“I am best friends with Nyota.”

“That’s really sweet, Spock. But…see, I’d mess it up. I’d screw up a relationship with Bones and then…”

“But you already have a relationship with Doctor McCoy. One of some years duration.”

“We have a friendship. A platonic friendship.”

“Kissing three times does not meet the definition of platonic. Is there another definition I am unaware of?”

Jim thunked his head on his desk. “I kiss a lot of people.”

“I appreciate the problem now. Given your sexual promiscuity, you believe you would be unfaithful to Dr. McCoy.”

“It’s more that I don’t know how to be a boyfriend, having never been one.”

“I see.”

“Or not really, right?” Jim laughed. 

“May I ask why you call Doctor McCoy Bones?”

“It’s because of something he said that first day on the shuttle.” Jim smiled at the memory. 

“I see. I thought it was a skeletal reference.”

“Skeletal?” Jim asked, puzzled.

“That it was a reference to the way the skeleton supports a body. It’s the structure on which all else is hung. I thought that you meant that he was like your bones, your skeleton, all that is holding you up.”

“He is. That’s why I cannot risk it.”

“I have never known you not to take a risk, Captain. Not ever.”

“First time for everything, Spock.” 

Something akin to disappointment ghosted over the Vulcan’s face. “I see.”

Uhura burst into the cabin. “Were you listening at the door?” Jim asked, incredulously.

“Yes. And, respectfully, sir, I have this to say. Did you know that Spock was my teacher when we met?”

“Nyota. I really don’t believe the Captain needs those details.”

“Jim Kirk, you love that man, even if you don’t want to admit it. It’s plain as your pretty blue eyes. And he adores you back. Why else does an aviaphoic man sail into space? Who else would have helped you take the Maru three times? Who else brought you back from the dead?”

“I know! That’s exactly the point, Uhura! I crazy love him. I’ve loved him for years. But…”

“No buts. He deserves better than that. You better get down to that sickbay, right now, before McCoy transfers off this ship and you have to chase him all across the galaxy.”

* * *   
In sickbay, McCoy refused to hide in his office and make it easy for the little gossips. However, he was smart enough to choose as his inventory partner someone who wouldn’t gossip or pry. He and his favorite nurse, Michelle, worked diligently sorting and categorizing medical supplies—for days. 

“We’ve sorted it all. Alphabetically. Unless you want to do it all again backwards, we got nothing else to do. Wanna play cards?”

“Cute. What’s everyone saying out there?” McCoy finally cracked and asked her.

“Oh, you know, planning their next shore leave, crabbing about shifts, betting on when you and the Captain will make it official.” She laughed.

“Dear God, did everyone see that kiss?”

“Yeah. Pretty much. And those that didn’t have watched it on vid by now. Probably about twenty times. It was pretty hot. Plus, they’ve all heard the story of the fairy court. No one has shut up about it for days on end.”

“Don’t sugarcoat it, Michelle. I can take it.” McCoy sank to the biobed, absently twirling an empty hypo in his hand. She flopped into the chair next to him.

“What gives, McCoy? You can talk to me. I won’t gossip.”

“I know that.” McCoy shrugged. “It’s an old story. There is a term my grandpa used to use. Friend zone.”

“I always thought you all were best friends.”

“We are. We met on the shuttle to the Academy. I don’t remember it that well, seeing how I was nearly blind drunk at the time. I do remember getting to my room and there he was. My new roommate. This brash kid straight from the cornfield. Practically brimming over with sunshine and mischief. And here was me, all broken and shattered from my divorce, halfway in the bottle. We didn’t actually get along too well at first.”

“Imagine that.” Michelle said, dryly. When McCoy seemed disinclined to go on, she prompted. “But then you did.”

“But then we did. I don’t know how it happened. I think we were just the two oddballs of the class and we were stuck working together a lot and…” he shrugged. 

“And then, you went to the fairy court.”

“Well, there was some other stuff in between.” Michelle’s eyes rounded. “Not like that! Like somehow, we became each other’s only family and best friends. Spent all our free time and our leave time together. And then Nero. And then Khan. And then he died on me. And somehow I followed him onto a starship and…”

“And then you kissed.”

“Yeah, but we never talked about that New Year’s Eve.”

“New Year’s Eve?” Michelle practically wheezed. McCoy flushed and nodded. “Oh my.”

“It was back at the Academy. We were really drunk. And neither of us had a date.”

“Jim Kirk didn’t have a date for New Year’s?” 

“Thank you, Michelle. Very sweet. I see you have no trouble believing that I didn’t have a date for New Year’s.” She shrugged. “Anyway, the next day, he woke up and acted like nothing happened. And I followed his lead and…”

“And then you went to the fairy court?”

McCoy swallowed. “And then we went to the fairy court.”

“And what actually happened in the fairy court?” 

“You are a terrible gossip. So, Jim, being Jim, took a sip of wine. Apparently, that meant that he couldn’t leave. We negotiated a bit and then she said that he could leave if he got the kiss that he most desired.”

“And that was your kiss?”

McCoy flushed. “Apparently. Or at least she thought so. She let him go. I don’t know why she thought it was the two of us.”

Michelle barked out a laugh. “Don’t have to be a fairy queen to figure that out. Anyone with eyes can see it. He always knows where you are in any room. You’re the one he wants on the bridge with him most of the time. Dr Puri went to the bridge twice in the whole time we served under Pike. Everyone watches him, sees him, looks to him, all the time. But he watches you.”

“We’re friends.”

“Kissing friends? Is that the expression?” She smiled. “Leonard, he’s in love with you.”

McCoy shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. I’m his CMO, he’s my captain.”

“Do not even try that one. We are on a starship where the communicator and the first officer are…”

“Let me ask you this, Leonard. What do you want from him?”

“Everything.”

“That’s what I want too.” Jim said softly, from the door behind them. McCoy twirled as Michelle scurried out the far door, shutting it quietly behind her. Jim faced him, breathing hard, his fist clenched against his long thighs. Bones swallowed and stared at him, seeing the truth in his eyes. “Okay then, darlin.”

They stood staring at each other for several heartbeats and then crossed the room to exchange a kiss that would have made the fairy queen blush.


End file.
